While browsing the Windows Phone 8 questions today, I stumbled upon this question. This is a question with an open bounty of +200 rep. However, the user who posted it and opened the bounty has 23 rep. How is this even possible ?

1 Answer
1

The bounty amount is subtracted when you set the bounty. The user had 223 rep, then set the bounty.

A bounty is the price you pay to have your question promoted, so it is paid up front. The system may then award this prize to the best answer given (with the help of the bounty setter). It is not a sum paid for getting an answer.